Conservatives' poll: Cotton strong

A poll released Tuesday by two conservative groups suggests that Democratic Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor is vulnerable to a challenge from freshman Rep. Tom Cotton.

The Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund found that Pryor is viewed favorably by 36 percent of voters and that Cotton leads by 8 points in a head-to-head matchup.

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The groups claim that a six-figure TV ad buy attacking the incumbent has significantly dented his standing with voters over the past month. They released numbers from Republican polling firm Basswood Research that showed he had a 53 percent favorable rating at the end of January.

Democrats responded that it is unfathomable a $100,000 television buy would move numbers the way that the Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund describe.

Pryor unofficially kicked off his campaign Saturday with Bill Clinton in Little Rock. The former president helped him raise $1 million with a series of fundraisers.

Mitt Romney carried the state by 24 points last year, so Republicans feel like they can beat Pryor by tying him to President Barack Obama. The conservative groups are particularly excited about Cotton, a veteran of two wars and a graduate of Harvard Law School, whom they helped get elected last year.

“So far, Tom Cotton has been every bit the pro-growth fiscal conservative we thought he’d be when our PAC endorsed him last cycle,” said Club for Growth spokesman Barney Keller. “If he were to run for the Senate, the Club for Growth PAC would seriously consider endorsing his candidacy.”

Cotton has kept the door open to a Senate bid but remains noncommittal.

“The congressman is focused right now on the coming work to address our spending-driven debt crisis,” said spokeswoman Caroline Rabbit. “Today in particular he is much more focused on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq war and honoring those who bravely serve our country. There will come a time for politics, but it’s not right now.”

Democrats dismissed the poll and downplayed the threat of a Cotton candidacy.

“The people of Arkansas elected Tom Cotton five minutes ago,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Matt Canter. “If he already deems himself worthy of a promotion, then he is in for a lot of disappointment. The fact is that this sham poll is brought to you by the Joe Miller, Richard Mourdock, Todd Akin wing of the Republican Party. Reince Priebus tried to excommunicate these guys yesterday.”

Correction: Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus's name was misspelled in a previous version. The spelling has been corrected.